Hεn MPOANO: Western Ghana Integrated Coastal and Fisheries Governance

Documentation of Focal Area and District Level Efforts of the Integrated Coastal and Fisheries Governance Project

COASTAL RESOURCES GOVERNANCE AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL

An important aspect of the work of the Integrated Coastal and Fisheries Governance Project has been in educating, training, and testing coastal and fisheries governance in the coastal Districts of the Western Region

TOOLKITS FOR DISTRICT LEVEL COASTAL MANAGEMENT

This document is the compilation of the research and planning information generated during the four year Integrated Coastal and Fisheries Governance Project. It summarizes key findings, presents maps and case studies and provides abstracts of more than 25 technical reports, all from the perspective of the District. The toolkit also provides detailed guidance on how fisheries and coastal management issues can be incorporated into the District’s mid-term development plan and spatial development framework. Accompanying the document distributed to each District is a CDROM with electronic copies of all the reference materials covered in the text.

This document is the compilation of the research and planning information generated during the four year Integrated Coastal and Fisheries Governance Project. It summarizes key findings, presents maps and case studies and provides abstracts of more than 25 technical reports, all from the perspective of the District. The toolkit also provides detailed guidance on how fisheries and coastal management issues can be incorporated into the District’s mid-term development plan and spatial development framework. Accompanying the document distributed to each District is a CDROM with electronic copies of all the reference materials covered in the text.

This document is the compilation of the research and planning information generated during the four year Integrated Coastal and Fisheries Governance Project. It summarizes key findings, presents maps and case studies and provides abstracts of more than 25 technical reports, all from the perspective of the District. The toolkit also provides detailed guidance on how fisheries and coastal management issues can be incorporated into the District’s mid-term development plan and spatial development framework. Accompanying the document distributed to each District is a CDROM with electronic copies of all the reference materials covered in the text.

This document is the compilation of the research and planning information generated during the four year Integrated Coastal and Fisheries Governance Project. It summarizes key findings, presents maps and case studies and provides abstracts of more than 25 technical reports, all from the perspective of the District. The toolkit also provides detailed guidance on how fisheries and coastal management issues can be incorporated into the District’s mid-term development plan and spatial development framework. Accompanying the document distributed to each District is a CDROM with electronic copies of all the reference materials covered in the text.

This document is the compilation of the research and planning information generated during the four year Integrated Coastal and Fisheries Governance Project. It summarizes key findings, presents maps and case studies and provides abstracts of more than 25 technical reports, all from the perspective of the District. The toolkit also provides detailed guidance on how fisheries and coastal management issues can be incorporated into the District’s mid-term development plan and spatial development framework. Accompanying the document distributed to each District is a CDROM with electronic copies of all the reference materials covered in the text.

THE AMANZULE WETLANDS AND JOMORO AND ELLEMBELLE DISTRICTS

The peat swamp forests of the Amanzule Wetlands and Ankobra River basin is a truly unique landscape. Threats to the peat swamp forest, while still minimal, may be mounting, particularly in the form of small-scale artisanal logging, firewood harvesting, and conversion to food crops like maize and cassava. As demonstrated by this study, these anthropogenic activities have a detrimental impact on the ecosystem’s ability to store and sequester carbon, as well as on biodiversity and nutrient dynamics. Therefore, conservation of this intriguing and rare landscape is crucial. While more research is required, it is possible that carbon finance, in the form of REDD+, soil carbon, or climate smart agriculture could form part of a dynamic conservation and livelihood strategy.

This document reviews a range of customary laws, beliefs and practices for governing the Greater Amanzule wetlands system shared by Jomoro and Ellembelle Districts in Ghana’s Western Region.

The Ghanaian Ministry of the Environment worked with The Integrated Coastal and Fisheries Governance (ICFG) and CRC-Ghana to form a Task Force of collaborating institutions to extend a survey into Cote D’Ivoire in order to more fully describe the ecology of the “green green” bloom and its underlying nutrient source(s).

This document highlights the process of Conservation Management Scenario Development for the Greater Amanzule Wetlands. The Greater Amanzule Wetlands stretches from the Ankobra River estuary to the Ivory Coast border and covers the coastal plains of the Ellembelle and Jomoro Districts and to a little extent, the Nzema East District. Due to its rich biodiversity features, it remains a critical area of concern to many stakeholders (particularly Traditional Authorities and Civil society groups) but it is yet to have a formal conservation status.

This document is the compilation of the research and planning information generated during the four year Integrated Coastal and Fisheries Governance Project. It summarizes key findings, presents maps and case studies and provides abstracts of more than 25 technical reports, all from the perspective of the District. The toolkit also provides detailed guidance on how fisheries and coastal management issues can be incorporated into the District’s mid-term development plan and spatial development framework. Accompanying the document distributed to each District is a CDROM with electronic copies of all the reference materials covered in the text.

Reliance on the sea is no different in the Jomoro District’s coastal village of Benyin. As you walk along Beyin’s scenic coastline or chat with community members, you will quickly learn that their livelihoods are under threat by a seemingly harmless green macroalgae locally referred to as green-green. CRC provided ongoing technical support through refined analysis of the algae that allows for the identification of the nutrient source, whether from the Aby Lagoon, Abidjan’s lagoons; or if it is a run-off associated with human waste, agricultural products, industrial sources; or from a change in the upwelling off the coast.

This document is the compilation of the research and planning information generated during the four year Integrated Coastal and Fisheries Governance Project. It summarizes key findings, presents maps and case studies and provides abstracts of more than 25 technical reports, all from the perspective of the District. The toolkit also provides detailed guidance on how fisheries and coastal management issues can be incorporated into the District’s mid-term development plan and spatial development framework. Accompanying the document distributed to each District is a CDROM with electronic copies of all the reference materials covered in the text.

This change detection analysis was an attempt to quantify how the land cover had changed in the Amanzule Region between 2002 and 2013. This project leveraged work from an earlier study to develop a baseline land cover map for Ghana’s Western Region as part of the Hen Mpoano Project. Hen Mpoano, or “Our Coast, Our Future” was a three year, USAID-funded endeavor lead by the University of Rhode Island’s Coastal Resources Center to develop adaptation strategies for coastal communities. The 2002 land cover map of the region was developed from Landsat TM data with a 30m pixel size, while the 2013 land cover mapping was developed using RapidEye multispectral imagery with a 5m pixel size.

This change detection analysis was an attempt to quantify how the land cover had changed in the Amanzule Region between 2002 and 2013. This project leveraged work from an earlier study to develop a baseline land cover map for Ghana’s Western Region as part of the Hen Mpoano Project. Hen Mpoano, or “Our Coast, Our Future” was a three year, USAID-funded endeavor lead by the University of Rhode Island’s Coastal Resources Center to develop adaptation strategies for coastal communities. The 2002 land cover map of the region was developed from Landsat TM data with a 30m pixel size, while the 2013 land cover mapping was developed using RapidEye multispectral imagery with a 5m pixel size. This document includes large format versions of the map set.

Ghana’s mangroves continue to reduce in health and coverage, especially in areas outside the five Ramsar designated sites in the country. Moreover, the use of compensatory mechanisms in addressing the exploitation of coastal ecosystems and climate change mitigation is in its nascent stages in Ghana because of the uncertainties in their carbon stock estimates due to uncertainties in their areal extent. The main objective of this study was to apply remote sensing technology to map the past and present areal extent of mangroves in the Ellembelle district in the western region of Ghana, especially in the face of limited data. Three main remotely sensed data were used in the study: a true color orthorectified digital aerial photo (AP); and two satellite data sources ‐ RapidEye and Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery. Additional data were acquired through a participatory mapping exercise and a GPS survey. Other ancillary data like an existing land use/ land cover map of the area was used for the mapping.

This document contains a signed stakeholder resolution for the improved and collaborative management of the Amanzule Wetlands shared by Jomoro and Ellembelle Districts in Ghana’s Western Region.

THE CAPE THREE POINTS FOREST RESERVE AND NZEMA EAST AND AHANTA WEST DISTRICTS

This document is the compilation of the research and planning information generated during the four year Integrated Coastal and Fisheries Governance Project. It summarizes key findings, presents maps and case studies and provides abstracts of more than 25 technical reports, all from the perspective of the District. The toolkit also provides detailed guidance on how fisheries and coastal management issues can be incorporated into the District’s mid-term development plan and spatial development framework. Accompanying the document distributed to each District is a CDROM with electronic copies of all the reference materials covered in the text.

This document is the compilation of the research and planning information generated during the four year Integrated Coastal and Fisheries Governance Project. It summarizes key findings, presents maps and case studies and provides abstracts of more than 25 technical reports, all from the perspective of the District. The toolkit also provides detailed guidance on how fisheries and coastal management issues can be incorporated into the District’s mid-term development plan and spatial development framework. Accompanying the document distributed to each District is a CDROM with electronic copies of all the reference materials covered in the text.

This is an initial Coastal Resilience Plan for Akwidaa and Ezile Bay which aims to make the coastal community more resilient (less vulnerable) in the short, medium and long term. It provides an overview of the planning context and describes the key coastal features and their physical characteristics. A vulnerability assessment based on this information, focusing on the adaptive capacity in key facets including economic, social, governance and physical. A set of short and longer term actions are identified in conjunction with the community to improve its adaptive capacity and strengthen overall resilience.

This is an initial Coastal Resilience Plan for Akwidaa and Ezile Bay which aims to make the coastal community more resilient (less vulnerable) in the short, medium and long term. It provides an overview of the planning context and describes the key coastal features and their physical characteristics. A vulnerability assessment based on this information, focusing on the adaptive capacity in key facets including economic, social, governance and physical. A set of short and longer term actions are identified in conjunction with the community to improve its adaptive capacity and strengthen overall resilience.

Document records wetlands conservation byelaws in four districts in Ahanta West District

These three case studies illustrate how climate change adaptation, hazard mitigation and coastal management best practices can be applied in the case of three coastal communities in Ahanta West District in Ghana’s Western Region that are facing a number of threats. The locations include the beautiful lagoon and beach systems of Princes Town, and the fish landing communities of Dixcove and Akwidaa.

This report outlines the accomplishments and lessons learned through the implementation of integrated Population, Health and Environment (PHE) initiatives by the Central and Western Fishmongers Improvement Association (CEWEFIA) in seven coastal communities in Ghana’s Western Region. The report elaborates on the socio-environmental context in the communities before the piloted interventions and the relevance of PHE as an approach for addressing the issues faced by the target communities and associated ecosystems. The way forward for improving PHE programmes in such communities is suggested to inform similar actions in other parts of the country and elsewhere in the world.

This report outlines the accomplishments and lessons learned through piloting integrated sanitation and livelihood improvement interventions in four coastal communities in the Western Region of Ghana by Daasgift Quality Foundation. It highlights the issues of plastic waste management in coastal communities and describes the business model applied to facilitate household income generation through plastic waste management in the target communities. The way forward for improving plastic waste management in coastal communities is suggested to inform similar and future initiatives in other parts of the country.

The land use and land cover map products created in this study are the first available data for the coastal region of Ghana. The maps represent an important step in the management of its natural resources. Land use and land cover maps allow land managers, policy and decision makers, and local communities to make informed decisions about the future of their natural, cultural and economic resources. This set of maps can also provide a window into how the landscape has changed as the baseline data for possible future work. With the baseline data ready, the next step of change analysis will be possible. The choice to use the U.N. Land Cover Classification System also provided the flexibility to meet classification needs in the future while still maintaining continuity with past work.

Ecological information on the near shore rocky reef habitats (NSRH) of Ghana is very limited. The present study fills this knowledge gap, by investigating the general status of the NSRH and fisheries of western Ghana, and providing baseline information on the fish, invertebrate and benthic communities.

This report documents recommendations from a primate expert, Robert Horwich of Community Conservation, who visited the region and met with local communities to discuss ways to improve monitoring of the forest reserves and community welfare in the region.

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SHAMA DISTRICT AND THE SEKONDI-TAKORADI METROPOLITAN AREA

This document is the compilation of the research and planning information generated during the four year Integrated Coastal and Fisheries Governance Project. It summarizes key findings, presents maps and case studies and provides abstracts of more than 25 technical reports, all from the perspective of the District. The toolkit also provides detailed guidance on how fisheries and coastal management issues can be incorporated into the District’s mid-term development plan and spatial development framework. Accompanying the document distributed to each District is a CDROM with electronic copies of all the reference materials covered in the text.

This document provides examples of three types of coastal management bye-laws based upon the experience in Shama district. The first bye-law address flood hazard prevention and mitigation in the Anankwar wetland system in the western-most coastal area. The second bye-law provides protection to the Pra River Estuary and associated wetlands on the easternmost shore. The final bye-law establishes allowable shore uses and protection for critical coastal features along the entire coast of the District. The model bye-laws presented in this document can be adapted to any coastal district in Ghana as they are written with the existing legal framework in mind. In 2013, Shama District was adapting these models with the assistance of legal experts so that they could be formally adopted by the Shama District Assembly.

The Univerisity of Cape Coast Department of Geography and Regional Planning carried out the following activities: • Develop General reference maps for the six coastal districts; • Prepare Land use Maps for Shama District; • Conduct Vulnerability Assessment and Generate Flood Risk Maps for focal areas in Shama (Inchaban and Anlo Beach); and • Identify, Classify and map shoreline features In Shama District. This report captures the details of activities undertaken by the DGRP in respect of the issues under the four key activities. It also summarizes the respective deliverable products produced under each task.

This rapid Biodiversity Assessment on the Essei and Butuah Lagoons and the Whin River Estuary in the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis of the Western Region of Ghana concludes that deplorable management, ignorance or conflict of interest on the part of users has led the wetlands onto a path of potentially irreversible destruction. A new type of coastal management thinking and practice are needed that takes into account Ghanaian economic, socio-cultural and environmental perspectives.